Luka Doncic was eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax extension with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason and sources tell ESPN that he anticipated signing it. Doncic also never gave any indication he would explore leaving the Mavericks, evidenced by his recent home purchase in the area.
But sources tell ESPN that some decision-makers with the Mavericks were as afraid of Doncic signing the supermax as they were of him not signing it, which contributed to their decision to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nico Harrison had more doubts about Doncic than others in the organization such as Mark Cuban or Dirk Nowitzki. Jason Kidd also frequently expressed concerns publicly and directly with Doncic about his conditioning, weight fluctuations and constant arguing with officials.
Patrick Dumont saw the trade of Doncic as a business decision that would preserve the Mavericks’ financial flexibility over the long-term and he also trusted Harrison on the return of Anthony Davis.
Cuban declined to comment when reached by ESPN, saying it wasn’t his team anymore.
“No way Mark would ever trade Luka,” a team source said. “It wouldn’t even be a conversation.”
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February 4, 2025 | 12:31 pm
